Sovereign of the Ashes

Overlord-level combat power held extraordinary significance for anyone.

When exploring the secret realm of a top-tier civilization, one might not uncover even a single artifact related to an overlord.

For top-tier civilizations, overlord-level combat power represented the absolute pinnacle, standing far above all others.

Beings of this tier were revered in certain star domains and civilizations as “overgods” or “god of gods”—titles that embodied their unmatched authority and terrifying might.

From the federation’s perspective, the most beneficial and also the most cost-effective choice would have been for Bond and his team to immediately head to the site where the overlord had fallen.

They might uncover remnants left behind by the overlord, or perhaps prehistoric treasures belonging to the Black Merlot Civilization.

After all, the remnants of the Black Merlot Civilization had launched a desperate final assault against the victorious Eiyurant Papillon Civilization.

Their overlord-class combatant might well have carried the civilization’s last and most precious treasures.

All of this was merit waiting to be claimed!

Moreover, based on the direction indicated by the light map, the crash site of the Black Merlot Civilization’s overlord-class combatant was not far from Bond and his team’s current coordinates. They could reach the area swiftly.

However, after long deliberation and personally examining the approximate crash coordinates of the more than two hundred Black Merlot Civilization biological warships, Bond pointed at the comprehensive analysis screen before him and said, “The Black Merlot Civilization never managed to penetrate the core of this steel ruin, even at the very end.”

“That suggests there must be some undiscovered secret hidden there. More importantly, the military has explicitly stated that the technological achievements of the Eiyurant Papillon Civilization are far more valuable than the relics left behind by the cultivation-based Black Merlot Civilization. And the Magus World group you detected earlier has also been steadily advancing toward the very heart of this ruin.”

With that, Bond sighed and concluded, “Therefore, I have decided to personally lead half of our agents to continue pursuing that Magus Civilization group. Our objective is to locate the core technology of the Eiyurant Papillon Civilization and reverse the Gallant Federation’s declining momentum on the frontlines.”

“As for you, Holger, and the agents who first discovered the coordinates of the fallen overlord... you’ll proceed there to gather valuable intelligence related to the Black Merlot Civilization,” Bond stated.

The situation was different from before.

Without the support of other federal fleets or giant mobile suits in coordinated operations, the forces at Bond’s disposal were limited.

Under these constraints, splitting his forces into two separate operations was no easy decision.

And most commendably, Bond assigned the most lucrative missions to his subordinates.

Whatever those agents might uncover at the site of the fallen overlord, they would surely be rewarded generously.

The Gallant Federation had a deeply hidden core secret, one that the Magus Civilization had uncovered long ago.

For overlord-class warships within the federal fleet, if their combat power merely rivaled Rank Seven, then destroyers and frigates could be retrofitted using Rank Six divine relics or Star Cores from medium-sized planes as their core energy sources.

However, for destroyers that matched Rank Eight combat power, powering such vessels required the acquisition of cores from large-sized planes or overlord-level beings to complete the manufacturing process.

Because of this, within the Gallant Federation, the appearance of every Rank Eight fleet signified that a foreign overlord or an entire large-sized world had been sacrificed.

This was precisely why the Magus Civilization had been able to establish the Magus Alliance, steadily recruiting vassal planes and overlord-level combatants.

By contrast, the Gallant Federation’s vassal followers dwindled with each passing day.

The federation itself could employ life-terraforming technology for colonization. But it could not exactly drive all the lifeforms of its vassal civilizations off their homeworlds and then build new life planets for them, could it?

Anyway, if this special forces unit managed to locate an overlord’s core within this subspace secret realm, it would undoubtedly count as a major achievement!

This was an opportunity Bond had deliberately given to the Rank Four agent named Holger.

Bond took on the most dangerous tasks himself, while entrusting assignments that promised immense credit and foreseeable rewards to his trusted subordinates.

Bond had always been unpopular within the military, especially among fleet commanders below the rank of lieutenant general. They resented him for having suddenly risen to prominence and now standing on equal footing with them.

After all, relying on covert operatives to turn the tide of a war implied their “incompetence” on the frontlines.

Yet within the special forces, Bond maintained good relationships with both his colleagues and the higher-ups in the federation’s special departments.

Holger was almost moved to tears on the communication screen.

The other agents who were about to follow Bond in tracking the highly dangerous Magus Civilization creatures showed no dissatisfaction with their assignment. Instead, they were also subtly moved by Bond’s selfless conduct.

Driven by wartime needs, the Gallant Federation had continuously produced cinematic works centered on warfare and the heroic struggles of frontline legions in recent years.

This even included remakes of several renowned war films from the federation’s past.

But on closer inspection, the vast majority of these war films told the stories of federal generals or frontline soldiers.

As for the agents, capital investors rarely promoted or celebrated their deeds, due to confidentiality concerns and a lingering wariness toward them.

In reality, individuals like Bond had made contributions just as significant to the Gallant Federation!

One could only wonder whether someone like him might one day also be publicly celebrated.

***

Unbeknownst to Sein and his group, who were steadily approaching the heart of the Steel Ruins, a “tail” had already latched onto them.

Bond and his team possessed remnants of Black Merlot Civilization technology, allowing them to easily locate the crash site of an overlord-class creature from that civilization.

Meanwhile, Sein and his group continued advancing toward the very core of the Eiyurant Papillon Civilization with the help of the Magic Cube and HALL-E.

Originally, both sides were steadily moving toward the discoveries they sought, relying on their own strengths.

But Bond’s appearance introduced an unexpected variable and trouble for Sein and his group.

It was yet another reminder of the unpredictability of a civilizational battlefield.

Opponents were not fools. Superior strength alone did not guarantee victory in war.

With the Gallant Federation’s deep foundations, they were prepared to fight the Magus Civilization to the bitter end.

And with talents like Bond thrown into the fray, even if the Magus Civilization ultimately defeated the Gallant Federation, it would come at a staggering price.

Fully assimilating the federation and digesting its accumulated strength would also take an immense amount of time.

Sein, who was currently collecting specimen data within a ruin of the Eiyurant Papillon Civilization, suddenly sensed something and glanced back over his shoulder.

However, behind him, only a vast expanse of debris and wreckage filled his field of vision.

HALL-E, who had been quietly observing Sein, blinked in curiosity.

It glanced backward as well, but found nothing unusual.

“I’m probably being too sensitive,” Sein muttered.

Then he asked, “Does this ruin remind you of anything, HALL-E?”